The Reason For The Season
by joedan84
Summary: Clark hangs mistletoe in the Torch, awaiting Lana's arrival, but someone else shows up.


Started and Finished: December 11, 2002

Last Episode Seen Before Writing: Skinwalker

Pairing: Chloe/Clark, slight Clark/Lana

Rating: PG-13

Category: Romance, Angst

Spoilers: None

Summary: Clark hangs mistletoe in the Torch, awaiting Lana's arrival, but someone else shows up. 

Disclaimer: I do not own them. They are not mine. But they _are_ minty. And intrepid. Oh, and flannel-clad, too!

Author's Note: Thanks to my wonderful and incredible beta, LaCasta!!

****

The Reason For The Season

Clark stood back, admiring his work. In record time he had carefully decorated the Torch office. Chloe would be pissed. She'd most likely give her 'Department Store Profit Conspiracy' speech she gave annually, but it looked great.

Green and red streamers hung from the ceiling-no hard feat to accomplish with his height or abilities-and a small tree sat on the corner of an empty desk. Clark loved Christmas. He could already smell his mom's eggnog wafting through the air if he thought about it.

Clark's eyes sparkled at the last bit of decoration. It was something he'd never had the courage to put up before. Now that Whitney was no longer dating Lana, Clark had free rein. Clark fingered the small piece of foliage, watching the light bounce off the green leaves, and red berries. Mistletoe: the reason for the season. Right?

Clark grinned to himself. He tied a piece of string to the end of the bunch, making sure it was tied tightly. He walked until he was just a few feet in front of the door, then using the same powers he had when he flew over Pete's head playing basketball, he hooked the other end of the string into the ceiling tiles. Perfect. Now all he had to do was wait for Lana.

"You're so full of it," Chloe said, laughing as she opened the Torch door.

"He's the one who said that I had what it took to make it big," was Pete's reply.

Chloe stopped short a step into the office. "Whoa. Is it just me or did the Smallville Arts and Crafts store explode in here?" she asked, looking around. 

Pete looked at Clark with an amused smile. "No. It was just Clark. Again."

"The craft store had a big hand in it," Clark pouted, giving Pete a dirty look for ratting him out.

"Eighth grade Winter Social déjà vu," Chloe muttered, grimacing.

Pete laughed, giving Chloe's shoulder a friendly shake. "Clark meant well. Right, Clark?"

"Don't I always?" Clark asked, looking at his friends.

"Well, there was the time you-" Chloe started.

"It was a rhetorical question," Clark pointed out.

"Rhetorical questions don't have answers. This particular question had a few pretty good ones," Chloe threw back, her eyes twinkling as she took a step closer to Clark.

"I see there's a new addition to Clark's decorating this year," Pete said, glancing up. "And look who's standing under it."

Chloe looked up and winced involuntarily. 

"Chloe, you don't- I mean, it's-" Clark fumbled to give her a way out.

Chloe's nose crinkled the way it does when her defense mechanism kicks in. "No big deal, Clark. It was probably meant for Lana, anyway. Don't worry about it," she told him, glancing at Pete for help.

"I'm sure Clark wouldn't mind," Pete said, ignoring Chloe's heated look.

Clark turned bright red. He could feel the heat moving up his neck to his face. "You don't have to, Chloe. I'm sorry, I never should have-"

With a smirk at Pete, Chloe put a hand behind Clark's neck and pulled his head down to hers. Her lips locked onto his, searing them. 

Clark was in shock. There was so much passion behind the kiss that it blew Clark's mind. His fingers came up to thread through Chloe's blond locks as he got the kiss he had missed at the Spring Formal.

A moment later Chloe pulled back with a satisfied look. She used one finger to wipe the corners of her mouth dramatically. "Happy?" she asked Pete.

Pete's mouth was hanging open as he stared at Clark. 

"What are you…" Chloe trailed off, turning to Clark.

At that moment Lana walked in. She took one look at Clark's dazed look, then looked to Chloe and Pete. "What happened to him?"

A grin spread across Pete's face as he pointed up. "Chloe's kiss happened."

Chloe blushed, glancing at Lana, then back to Clark. "Clark, Lana's here. You can-"

She was cut off when Clark pulled her into a kiss. This time he put as much force and passion into it as Chloe had before. 

When he pulled back Chloe was the one in shock. "Wow. What was that?" she asked, looking up at Clark.

Clark shrugged. "We were still under the mistletoe?"

Pete scoffed. "If I knew that's all it took to finally get you two to kiss I would have pulled out some mistletoe two years ago."

"Uhm, I have to go take a shift at the Talon. I'll talk to you guys later," Lana said, excusing herself.

Clark looked at the empty doorframe where Lana had stood.

"Maybe I should…" he trailed off.

Chloe tensed, shifting her bag from one shoulder to the other. "Yeah, I guess."

"But there _is_ still some mistletoe hanging above us," Clark said, with a Kent charm smile.

Chloe broke into a grin. At the same time they turned to look at Pete.

"Don't mind me," Pete said, his smile reaching his eyes. "I'm just a part of the scenery."

"I never figured you for a voyeur, Pete," Chloe said, shooting him a warning look.

Pete put his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine. I guess someone should go talk to Lana."

"Bye, Pete," Clark said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The things I do for my friends," Pete muttered as he walked to the door, but Chloe and Clark had already resumed their kiss. He turned back to say something, stopping when he saw his friends. "I love the holidays."

"Pete," Clark and Chloe said at the same time.

"You guys get all the fun," Pete replied, leaving the room.

Chloe and Clark looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Chloe raised to her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around Clark's shoulders as Clark wrapped his arms around Chloe's waist. The kiss was even better than the previous two.


End file.
